Lawsuit Filed Over End of Federal Protection of Wolves

A coalition of environmental groups is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over the agency's decision to end federal protections for wolves in Wyoming. Groups including the Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The groups claim the federal wildlife agency violated the Endangered Species Act by approving the state of Wyoming's wolf management plan. Wyoming took over wolf management on Oct. 1 after promising to maintain at least 10 breeding pairs of wolves and at least 100 wolves outside of Yellowstone National Park. Wyoming classifies wolves as predators that can be shot on sight in more than 80% of state. The state also allows regulated hunting of wolves as trophy game in a zone outside Yellowstone National Park.